The kid always had been an Emmitt Smith fan. He loved watching Smith deke, dart and dash on the football field, leaving defenders in his wake. Whenever he played Madden video games, he would take the Cowboys and run No. 22 all game long.

One day, a family friend told the kid about Walter Payton. Said Smith had nothing on Payton.

"I’m sitting there trying to think who in the world is this dude Walter Payton," said Ryan Williams, who was born three years after Payton’s career ended and was only 9 when Payton died in 1999. "He can’t be better than Emmitt Smith."

Williams then watched a video of Payton, and the first thing he saw was a clip of the Bears running back shredding the Chiefs defense — "He got hit multiple times and just kept running. He looked unstoppable" — and he was hooked.

It has been "Sweetness" for him ever since.

Williams has been wearing Payton’s uniform number (34) since he was 11, and he has the number 34 tattooed on him in three different places. He is about the same size as Payton, standing 5-9 "and some change" and weighing 212 pounds when measured at the NFL Scouting Combine. And as one of the top running backs in the 2011 draft, Williams is about to step into Payton’s old world.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has Alabama’s Mark Ingram as the only running back with a first-round draft grade but says Williams and Illinois’ Mikel Leshoure can make their marks, too.

"Ryan Williams and Mikel Leshoure are two backs who have the looks of potential NFL starters, premier guys," McShay said.

One thing that concerns NFL personnel men about Williams is a partially torn hamstring that sidelined him for four games during the middle of the '10 season.

The hamstring injury combined with Virginia Tech’s move to a three-back system limited Williams’ production last season. After rushing 293 times for 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns in ’09, Williams had 110 carries for 477 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Still, after his return from the injury, he averaged 5.3 yards per carry, scored seven touchdowns and broke off an 84-yard run vs. Miami (Fla.).

"I was able to perform, so that’s really all that matters," Williams said.

Payton might be Williams’ hero, but his mother is his best friend. He credits her for playing an integral role in every part of his life.

Sharon Johnson is her son’s No. 1 fan. Williams has been playing football since he was 6, and she has missed only two of his games — once when he played a road game for Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, Va.) High and he didn’t want her driving the long distance in the dark, and the second time when Virginia Tech played at Duke in ’09.

But academics trumped football for Johnson, who always stressed the importance of good grades. Williams got the message. He says he graduated from high school with a 3.4 grade-point average and currently has a 2.8 at Virginia Tech, a year away from getting his degree in Human Development. Eventually, Williams would like to work with kids in some kind of a youth program.

First, though, Williams wants to try and do his best imitation of Walter Payton. What will NFL fans say about him five years from now?

"They’ll be saying, 'This guy is one of the best in the league right now,’ " Williams said. "To me, you can never be the best because there are too many opinionated people out there. But if everybody can say I’m one of the best and I’m one of their favorites, I’ll be cool with that."

The high five of backs

Sporting News draft analyst Russ Lande rates Ryan Williams as the No. 1 running back in the '11 draft class. Here is Lande’s bottom line on his top five backs:

1. Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech (first round). He likely will start immediately as a rookie because of his athleticism, speed and power.

2. Mikel Leshoure, Illinois (first round). He is a tandem back with the ability to play right away on third downs.

3. Mark Ingram, Alabama (first/second round). He will be a good NFL starter who grinds out the tough yards, contributes catching passes and makes an occasional big play.

4. Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State (second round). He is a good prospect who will work well in a tandem role.

5. Allen Bradford, USC (third round). Within a season or two, he will be a strong, physical NFL starter.